June 14, 2013
We are pleased to report that today's New York Times included an article highlighting the Legal Action Center's recent report on New York State Record of Arrest and Prosecution (RAP) Sheet errors and the devastating impact those errors can have on people's lives.
Follow this link to read the article in its entirety.
In what is believed to be the most detailed and up-to-date analysis of the different types of errors that exist in New York State’s criminal justice records, the Legal Action Center closely examined 3499 RAP sheets from its clients, looking at records from 2008 to 2011 and determined that at least 30% of these records contained at least one error, with some containing as many as ten or more.
Since, according to data from the New York State’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, approximately 7 million people have New York RAP sheets, applying LAC’s relatively conservative error rate of 30%, the Legal Action Center estimates that at least 2.1 million of these people have RAP sheet errors – and the number may well be even higher. Such errors create barriers to New Yorkers trying to find jobs, obtain professional licenses, rent apartments, get higher education and public housing, and obtain other benefits.
New York State has the ability to help address this urgent problem right now, with three pieces of legislation introduced or proposed that would improve the accuracy of RAP sheets. The report provides details on how the legislation would help to stop bureaucratic mistakes from hindering the ability of New Yorkers to rebuild their lives
To read the full report, click here.
To see additional coverage of LAC's report, visit www.lac.org. |
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About Us
The Legal Action Center is the only non-profit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas.
For three decades, LAC has worked to combat the stigma and prejudice that keep these individuals out of the mainstream of society. The Legal Action Center is committed to helping people reclaim their lives, maintain their dignity, and participate fully in society as productive, responsible citizens.
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